Holiday Music Motel

I ran across the Holiday Music Motel a couple of years ago after we started exploring more unique lodging, but we didn't get a chance to stay there until this month.
Located in Door County's Sturgeon Bay, WI, the motel was built in the 1950s and underwent renovation in 2008.
As we checked in, we were greeted by a wall of Route 66 photos and a cheerful front desk clerk who told us our room featured original 50s furniture.
The beds were upgraded and comfy, but the desk, nightstand and chair were indeed vintage and quite attractive with their green and white motif.
The bathroom had what appeared to be original tile and an appropriate-era wall sink, but everything was tidy and clean.
The main floor rooms were pet friendly and the second floor was for pet free guests. Being on the main floor with our dog, we did occasionally hear footsteps above, but not so much that it was bothersome.
I got a kick out of the counter style continental breakfast room with the low vinyl-topped stools. The breakfast room housed serve yourself coffee, cereals, pastries and fruit.
The motel even features live entertainment on the lawn, which we unfortunately were not on site for.

Holiday Motel
30 N. 1st Ave
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

A Christmas Story House & Museum

I knew my husband was a huge fan of A Christmas Story, having experienced year after year of him wanting to watch it all day during the holidays.

Planning our honeymoon in 2007, our travels were going to take us across Ohio on the way home. My husband demanded that we must make a stop off in Cleveland at A Christmas Story House & Museum.
Even though the movie was released in 1983, A Christmas Story has that retro feel due to it's 1940s setting.
The Christmas Story House is open year round, one of several sites where scenes for the movie were filmed. It has been remodeled to appear just like it did in the holiday classic.
On the last leg of our honeymoon, we rolled up to the house, bought our tickets at the museum across the street (where naturally the movie was playing) and headed in to take a look.

We posed for a photo next to the leg lamp in the front window. We checked out the tinsel covered Christmas tree. We took a gander at the turkey waiting in the white enamel oven, at any moment expecting Bumpus's hounds to barge in and knock us down in a mad attempt to get to the bird. We even saw Ralphie's glasses resting on his notebook next to his neatly penned Christmas list.
In 2008, my husband made a fruitless plea for family and friends to bid to win him a stay at A Christmas Story House, an auction that has been held several times since. Last year the winning bid was $3,200. A little steep for our Christmas spending, but hey, we've all got our dreams! Considering that it's a package for four complete with Chinese turkey and a major prize, I'm sure it is quite the experience.

A Christmas Story House
3159 W 11th St
Cleveland, OH 44109

West Baden Springs Hotel

If you enjoy great architecture, the West Baden Springs Hotel in Indiana is a sight to behold.
The hotel features an enormous domed atrium that was the largest free-spanning dome in the U.S. until 1955. It was the largest dome in the world from 1902-1913.
From the hotel's web site I learned that George Rogers Clark discovered the area's mineral springs and salt licks in 1778. Due to the beauty of the land and the belief in curative powers of the springs, the area was ripe for resort development.
In 1832, the French Lick Springs Hotel was built. In 1855, a hotel was built in the town of Mile Lick, which later became known as West Baden.
By the late 19th century, seven rail lines brought guests from all over the U.S. to the area.
In 1901, the entire hotel was destroyed by fire. Then owner Lee W. Sinclair took the opportunity to build the hotel of his dreams, complete with the world's largest dome, decorated like the grandest spas of Europe. The architect was Harrison Albright.
In 1902 the hotel opened for business and advertisements touted it as the Eighth Wonder of the World. The grounds included golf courses, bowling, a pony and bike track, swimming and more and attracted the likes of Al Capone and professional baseball teams.
The hotel was used for other purposes from the 1960s-1980s and was in fairly good shape then but eventually fell into disrepair. In 1991 a portion of the exterior wall collapsed.
The West Baden Springs Hotel was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974 and was reopened as a hotel in 2007 at a cost of almost $100 million in restoration.
Even if you do not plan to stay at one of the hotels guest rooms, you can tour the hotel or dine in the on-site restaurant.
I visited this fall, as some of my grandfather's family had settled in the Martin County, Indiana area.
Stepping in to the beautiful domed atrium with the floor lined with millions of tiny mosaic tiles and seeing how tall the dome was, I would have expected the room to carry a lot of noise, but it was as serene as a library and quite peaceful.
We toured the grounds and walked along sweeping porches lined with rocking chairs where people enjoyed a cup of coffee or a good book.
Walking the circular halls we took in all of the historic photographs and soaked up some of the history of what this hotel has been and what it has been through to emerge once again as a beautiful example of architecture.
I hope to spend a night at the hotel in the next year or two.

West Baden Springs Hotel
8538 West Baden Avenue
French Lick, IN 47469

Kansas City Workhouse

We were on our way to find some BBQ in Kansas City, Missouri, when we caught sight of what appeared to be a castle at 21st and Vine. We veered off to have a look.
As luck would have it, it was a beautiful specimen, and was for sale! I just know my husband is working on acquiring the building for his queen. Or, more likely, so that he can host haunted houses there.
The building was built as a workhouse, or prison, in the late 1800s. Prisoners built the building using stone from a nearby quarry.
From about 1918-1970 the impressive stone structure was used as city office space, after which it was abandoned.
It looks like vandals have had their way with it in recent years, but the structure still looks good.

Kansas City Workhouse (Brant’s Castle)
2001 Vine Street
Kansas City, MO 64108

Arcadia, OK

We detoured into Arcadia, Oklahoma once we saw that part of Route 66 passed through the town, mainly to check out the giant soda bottle.
Unfortunately we were not bowled over by it. It looked to be pretty new and modern, but years from now I'm sure it will be a big hit.
The bonus was that we decided to drive further and ended up stopping at the Arcadia Round Barn. What a beautiful specimen!
The round barn, now beautifully restored, was built in 1898. Inside we found an impressive collection of round barn history from all over the U.S. and a charming older man named Sam, dressed in cowboy attire. There were pictures of the upstairs loft and the ceiling looked stunning. The loft is available for rentals.
Inside the barn was also a small selection of gift items for sale.

Leaving the barn, we explored some of the beautiful historic buildings nearby, and then headed on to try to find OK Country 66, where one man has build replicas of many classic roadside attractions. We drove past a couple of times without seeing it, but once we did we thought it was even better than we expected, but, alas, the gates were closed and there was no sign on when they would be open.

We didn't have to go away empty-handed, however. While at the round barn, I had noticed some information on the ruins of a 1920s filling station nearby, and I spotted it in our search for OK Country 66. We got out and admired the stone pillars and walls that remain, and on our way back to the Interstate my husband stopped at the round barn once more and ended up finding out that Sam, the man holding down the fort at the barn that day was also the owner of the filling station.

The detour into the Arcadia area to check out Route 66 turned out to be one of the highlights of our vacation for me.

Arcadia Round Barn
11250 E. Highway 66
Arcadia, OK 73007

Old Filling Station
E Danforth Rd near Oklahoma 66
Arcadia, OK 73007

Old Country Store

When I decided that the Old Country Store in Lorman, Mississippi would make a nice stop for lunch on our summer vacation, I did not remember that this was THE place that Alton Brown said had the best fried chicken he's ever had during an episode of Feasting on Asphalt.
We rolled up to the restaurant run by Mr. D, housed in, what else, an old country general store, well over 100 years old. Inside we found well-worn hardwood floors and rolling ladders along a wall covered with wooden shelves of wares.
We were greeted and took a seat at one of the white cloth covered tables. After placing an order for iced tea, we headed to the next room to fill our plates.
We found bread, mac and cheese, salad, black eyed peas and more, but no fried chicken. We took our first round of food back to the table and decided to wait for the next batch of bird, and soon I noticed everyone else in the dining room seemed to be perched on the edge of their seats waiting, too. I thought we might have to fight someone off to get some chicken!
Soon a few people got up and made their way to the buffet room, hovering near the door. After declaring the potato salad very good, my husband headed in to wait with the others, and within minutes the hot fried chicken was on our table.
The chicken breast I had was huge, juicy and crispy, and in my haste to eat it I actually burned my fingers a bit.
This was really only my second "famous" fried chicken sampling, and out of the two I will say this one was much better. I will have to get a few more samplings under my belt before I can declare it the best ever.
As we were finishing up our lunch, Mr. D made his way into the room and started talking with some of the diners.
The atmosphere was fun, service was good and if you are looking for a comfort food stop along Highway 61, the Old Country Store has got you covered.

Old Country Store
18801 Hwy 61
Lorman, MS 39096

Beer Can House

Zipping through Texas we needed a diversion, and what could be better than taking a gander at a beer can house?
John Milkovisch started working on the Beer Can House, located in Houston, Texas, in 1968. According to the house's web site, Ripley's Believe It or Not estimated that over 50,000 cans adorn this monument to recycling.
After the death of John and his wife, the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art took over the house.
Admission to the grounds or a guided tour can be purchased for a small fee on Saturdays and Sundays.

Beer Can House
222 Malone Street
Houston, TX 77007

Bud's Broiler

Bud Sanders opened his first broiler in 1952 in New Orleans' City Park. Today there are several locations of Bud's Broiler, but we wanted to visit the original.
When we arrived well past the standard lunch hour, we still had to wait in line with those eager to have one of Bud's charbroiled burgers. I grabbed one of the few wooden tables with benches along the wall and waited about 15 minutes for my husband to order two burgers and fries and make his way back to the table. Many of those who arrived after us headed upstairs for seating or took their food outside.
The patties seemed to be coarse ground, certainly nothing fancy but the standout here, which I had to try, was the hickory sauce topping, so I had ordered their #2 (meat with their own hickory smoked sauce) with onions. The sauce was a nice addition.
Bud's also serves hot dogs, sausage, chicken, fish, root beer, shakes and fried pies.

Bud's Broiler (City Park)
500 City Park Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70119

Rodney, Mississippi: "ghost town"

I discovered the "ghost town" of Rodney, Mississippi online and we were able to make a visit there on our latest vacation.
Said to be settled by the French in 1763 as Petit Gouffre (Petit Gulf), the town was renamed Rodney in 1828. The town thrived as a river port in the 1840s and 50s, but in the mid 1860s a sand bar formed and the Mississippi River changed course, which forever changed the course of this town.
The Presbyterian church in Rodney still bears an imbedded cannon ball above the center arched window on the top row of the building. A sign informs "Rodney Presbyterian Church chartered in Jan. 1828 as the Presbyterian Church of Petit Gulf. Shelled by the gunboat 'Rattler' when Federal sailors were captured by the Confederate cavalry while attending Sunday services September 13, 1863."
Near the Federal style Presbyterian church there are several signs detailing more history of Rodney.
We walked around the quiet town with the sound of bugs being our only accompaniment. There were several houses and buildings in a state of ruin, and a store with an old gas pump in front. There were also some well-kept houses of those who now call Rodney home, and a charming Baptist church topped with a silver dome.
A heavy rain storm began just as we would have gotten out to visit the graveyard and church, and soon the gravel roads we used to arrive seemed a bit treacherous with the amount of rapidly falling rain, so we decided it would be best to head out.

Rodney 
Lorman, MS 39096

Shack Up Inn

Planning our summer trip I was looking for some unique lodging, and the Shack Up Inn certainly fit the bill.
Located in Clarksdale, MS in the Mississippi Delta, the Shack Up Inn and Cotton Gin Inn sits on what was a working plantation, with authentic sharecropper shacks, seed bins and the original cotton gin.
We spent the night in Fullilove, one of the sharecropper shacks, after taking in some blues at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale. The night we spent at the Shack Up Inn was a quiet one. I hear that many nights they have live music on site. So we busied ourselves checking out all of the nooks and crannies in our shack which were filled with journal entries, coins, wine corks and mementos from years of travelers past.
The shacks are air conditioned; ours had a full sized refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker, a bathroom and even a piano.
Clarksdale seems to be in the midst of a business revitalization and I think there will always be a spot open to check out some live music. There were also several interesting restaurants in town. Rust sounded great and we enjoyed a meal at both Ground Zero (a blue plate special!) and Stone Pony Pizza.

Shack Up Inn

1 Commissary Circle
Clarksdale, MS 38614

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop

While visiting New Orleans this summer, we had time to stop by Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop in the French Quarter, supposedly the oldest continually occupied bar in the United States.
The building dates back to around 1722 and is rumored to have been owned by pirate Jean Lafitte.
Approaching the bar on a Thursday night we could hear the noise of the crowd both inside and outside from quite a way down the street. The shuttered doors were opened wide to the streets.
We were escorted to a table in the piano bar area in back where there was no electric lighting, just candles in glass jars providing a bit of light here and there.
Enjoying a beer back in this dimly lit room we couldn't help but think of all of those who had been there before us.

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
941 Bourbon St.
New Orleans, LA 70116

Gibson's Donuts

We stopped at Gibson's Donuts in Memphis, TN on our way out of town for breakfast. I knew they had an impressive neon sign, which we didn't get a great picture of due to the lighting at the time of day we were there, and I knew the place seemed to have a following.
Inside it was your pretty basic donut shop with cases of donuts, coffee and people enjoying said goodies. What caught my eye almost immediately was what looked to be a red velvet cake donut starting at me from the case.

Indeed it was a red velvet donut, and it was wonderful and rich, topped with the perfect cream cheese icing.
They also had real cream for their coffee, none of that powdered crap.
The icing on the cake for this stop, though, was meeting the owner, Don, in the dining room and having a nice chat with him about the remainder of our vacation plans. He told us about the Memphis zoo and also clued us in to a restaurant called Middendorf's that serves thin fried catfish in Louisiana. We had a thoroughly enjoyable conversation with him and we will be "regulars" at Gibson's now any time we are in town.

Gibson's Donuts
760 Mt. Moriah Rd.
Memphis, TN 38117 

Arcade Restaurant

We've been to Memphis, TN many times, but on our visit this summer I decided to see what type of historic restaurants were in the area, since we love soaking in the character of these beauties. I came up with the Arcade Restaurant, Memphis' oldest restaurant, which is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
According to their web site, Greek Speros Zepatos founded the restaurant in 1919. In the 1950s, his son updated the restaurant to it's current diner style. The Zepatos family still runs the restaurant.
The attractive Arcade has even been featured in scenes from many movies.

We rode our bikes to the Arcade for breakfast, but another great way to arrive is via the Historic South Main street car line, which will take you on a scenic route through one of Memphis' restored business districts. We used the street cars a lot on this trip, and they are very beautifully restored. Each ride was only $1 (make sure you have exact change) and the drivers were friendly and helpful. A helpful rider also told us that day passes can be purchased for just over $3.


Arcade Restaurant  
540 South Main Street
Memphis, TN 38103

Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co.

Years ago a friend of mine heard of the Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. in Chicago and we decided to try it while we were in town for a concert.
The address has been etched in my mind ever since, even though we live in a small town in Central IL.
On my first visit, the two of us arrived at the narrow brick house at 2121 N. Clark on a Saturday night to find the place packed to the gills. A white-haired gentleman eventually made it to the entrance area and asked us how many were in our party. We said two, and he said "an hour and 10 minutes". He did not take any names. We learned that one of the notable things about the restaurant is that they will not take names, they remember you by sight, and are pretty damn accurate about your potential wait time.
We waited at the bar and enjoyed big glasses of red wine. At one hour and 10 minutes after our arrival, right on the nose we were tapped on the shoulder and taken to our cozy wooden booth where, now ravenous, we immediately ordered the first thing we could see on the menu: Mediterranean bread.
Our waiter soon brought the flat bread, draped over a platter and covered in dried herbs and cheese to our table where we tore at it like wild dogs.
Soon our 1/2 pound steaming pizza pot pies arrived, baked in ceramic bowls. I had the sausage and mushroom and my friend Minney, who does not eat pork or beef, had just mushrooms. Deeeeee-licious!!
I later told my husband about the entire experience, and after we saw the restaurant featured on the Food Network he wanted to try the place for himself.
I told him that I could taste green peppers in the sauce (since he is a pepper hater), but I wasn't sure if the flavor would bother him or not.
The two of us visited and had a repeat great experience (he absolutely loves the pies, green peppers and all), and now we make a point to go once a year.
It has become a tradition during December. We go to Chicago for Christkindlmarket, eat dinner at the Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. and take two frozen pot pies home which we prepare and eat together over wine on Christmas eve.
I would also suspect that it is a good place to work, even with the standing room only crowds, since year after year we recognize the waiters and bartenders as those who have been there for years.
The restaurant alone is historic in that it has been serving up these wonderful pizza pies since 1972, but according to the following from their web site, the location itself has some interesting history.
"If the building ever did possess gentility, though, it was abruptly forsaken on February 14, 1929, as the guttural yammering of submachine guns in a garage almost directly across the street brought the notorious 'St. Valentine’s Day Massacre' to headlines around the world. Rumor even has it that the house at 2121 North Clark served as a lookout post for hoodlum henchmen of the Valentine gunners."
So, if you go for the great food, the possible history or the hosts who can distinguish you from the waiting crowd, the Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. does not disappoint.

Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co.
2121 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614

Frederick C. Bogk House

The Frederick C. Bogk House, built in 1917, is Frank Lloyd Wright's only single-family residential project in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The house is located on N. Terrace Avenue and is used as a private residence.

Frederick C. Bogk House
2420 N. Terrace Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53211

Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park

The Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park offers visitors many activities including camping, fishing, boating, horseback riding and more.
We made a visit and took advantage of the crushed rock trails to do some biking.

Along the trail you can see truss and lift bridges, including this lift bridge at lock 21.
Opened in 1907, the Hennepin Canal, formerly the Illinois and Mississippi Canal, was closed to barge traffic in 1951. The canal was used as a training ground for engineers that later worked on the Panama Canal.
The state park covers five counties.

We noticed an old white building just past lock 21 which may have been a house or warehouse provided by the Corps of Engineers to lockmen. The houses provided to them weren't wired with electricity and did not have indoor plumbing.
From Wikipedia: "Traffic on the canal was never heavy, and critics complained that it was obsolete when it was constructed and that it was too small and only fit for the early days of canaling. Many have said if the canal had been constructed in the 1830s, 1840s, 1850s or even the 1860s, as it was originally suggested, the canal would have had greater economic potential. On April 7, 1948, the Corps of Engineers issued a 'navigation notice' that put the canal on a limited service basis."
Beginning in the 1970s, plans were made to convert the canal to the recreational use it enjoys today.

Sauk City, WI and vicinity

On a recent Saturday morning as I sat reading the paper, my husband said "You'd better get in the shower...you're being kidnapped."
"Kidnapping" is a tradition my friends and I came up with several years ago. The nabbers plot and plan a secret trip for the victim, perhaps having to tell them the date(s) of said trip in advance, but nothing else. The kidnappers plan everything and whisk the person off to destination unknown.
The only clue I received regarding this trip was that it was someplace we had never been before.
We drove for a couple of hours, eventually crossing into Wisconsin. Was it Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright's house in Spring Green? Nope.
We decided to detour into Madison for lunch and ended up heading out of the college craziness to a more sedate neighborhood where we noticed an inviting looking place called Mickey's Tavern.
Nearby there was a bike path, the Yahara River Bike Path.
Once inside, we were directed to help ourselves to some coffee or water at the side bar and take a seat.
We selected a small table near the door and I drank in the delightful art deco-esque decor.
After we ordered iced teas, StfRon decided to go with the World's Greatest Sandwich, which was sort of a BLT with an egg and cheese. I went for a steak sandwich which involved ginger after wavering between it and the portobello sandwich. Both came with chips and slaw.
The sandwiches were tasty, the slaw not the creamy variety.

During our visit we did venture to the restroom and were able to check out some of the other rooms. I especially enjoyed the room with the pool table, with its bright, funky colors and mod pendent lamps.

Back on the road, my husband revealed our first destination just a few minutes from our arrival at the Wollersheim Winery in Sauk City.
The property, first selected for vineyards in the 1840s, made us feel like we were back in the Rhine Valley in Germany, with its hills and stone buildings. The property was purchased by the Wollersheim family in 1972.
Oddly enough, I later found that my parents had visited the winery many years ago with me in tow as a child.
We headed to the tasting bar and asked which wines were made with grapes grown on site. We tasted three of them and were surprised to find that we really enjoyed the Prairie Blush, so much so that we each ordered a glass. We normally drink red wine, mostly Zinfandel and Cabernet.

We took our wine out onto the grounds and walked around, heading toward what appeared to be an old stone wine cellar graced with a beautiful ornate gate. We sat on a nearby bench for a bit and enjoyed our wine, then headed back to the wine store.
Upon looking at the literature for the Prairie Fumé, we decided we should sample that wine as well, since it garnered Wisconsin’s famous nationally-acclaimed Double Gold and Gold medals. We found it to be crisp, fruity and refreshing, so we bought a bottle to go.
On our way out, I stopped and snapped a photo of the charming Ganser's Motel sign, which sadly had no vacancy lit up.

We next stopped in downtown Sauk City and poked around in some antique shops, then headed on to Lodi to check into our hotel.
We visited downtown Lodi for a bit of shopping and exploring, then headed for the next phase of my surprise trip, dinner plans at a German restaurant in Roxbury (the address is Sauk City).

The Dorf Haus Supper Club was originally a grocery store and tavern, purchased in 1859 by Vern and Betty Maier who began serving dinners a couple of years later.


Approaching the restaurant, we noticed the parking lot across the road, which was next to a beautiful church, was full of cars. We cruised the restaurant parking lot and found nothing, so headed across the street to park and wondered about our chances at getting a table for our early dinner.
Walking inside, however, we were relieved to see that the hostess stand was quiet and the bar was only moderately full. Turns out there was a wedding party in the banquet room.
We mentioned we would like to enjoy a cocktail before dinner and our hostess was very accommodating, offering to come and get us in about 30 minutes.
We thoroughly enjoyed the beer as well as the company of the customers and staff and the atmosphere of the bar.
We took a seat in the dining room and ordered our meals. I went with Sauerbraten and the beef burgandy soup, StfRon ordered Rahmschnitzel and chicken dumpling soup. Our meals also included a soft white bread and salad bar. I was pleased to find fresh spinach on the salad bar along with a crock of hot bacon dressing.
My soup was wonderfully rich and flavorful. The chicken dumpling soup tasted like my mom's homemade chicken and noodles.
The tender Sauerbraten had a distinct ginger gravy and the accompanying spatzle had a nutmeg flavor. Both meals featured appropriate portions, and at $15.95 each, seemed like a steal.
We also split a chocolate mousse cake, which was surprisingly good.

Leaving pleasantly full, we decided to stop by the third staple in Roxbury, the Roxbury Tavern.
The place had an eclectic flair, and was hosting Cajun night. We each ordered a beer from the busy but friendly lady tending bar and I wandered over to read some newspaper clippings posted on the wall, taking in the colorful history of Sam the former tavern dog and the burning of pianos. Back at the bar I checked out the breakfast menu and thought it sounded scrumptious, but alas we headed in another direction when we left the next morning.

Sunday morning we drove through Mount Horeb, former home of the mustard museum, took in the wooden troll collection and checked out the scrap iron menagerie (a fun collection of iron creatures made by Wally Keller) where a dog stood sentry, barking at us to protect his home. We detoured into Monticello and saw a great Blatz beer sign, amidst the intense construction in the downtown area.
We drove through Monroe and discovered that the Joseph Huber brewing company is now Minhas, and noted with interest their annual cheese festival.
And soon we were home, with memories of another great road trip.

Mickey's Tavern
1524 Williamson Street
Madison, WI, 53703


Wollersheim Winery
7876 Wisconsin 188
Sauk City, WI 53583-9529

Ganser's Motel
 7433 Wisconsin 188
Sauk City, WI 53583

Dorf Haus Supper Club
8931 Hwy Y
Sauk City WI 53583

Leon's Frozen Custard

Leon's Frozen Custard, family owned and operated since 1942, is considered a Milwaukee, Wisconsin landmark. Open year round with carry-out service, they feature what they claim to be the "World's Finest Frozen Custard" in a handful of flavors as well as hot sandwiches and hot and cold drinks.

Leon's Frozen Custard opened on May 1, 1942.

The building was remodeled in the early 50s, leaving it with the eye-catching archi-

tecture it features today. The business is still owned and operated by the original family.

Leon's is also rumored to be one of the inspirations behind Arnold's from TV's Happy Days. Currently there is no longer carside service, and there has not been any for many years.

We made the trek out to Leon's to see what all the hype is about. Being from Illinois, the only frozen custard we've had is from Culver's.

My husband ordered a chocolate cone while I went for a chocolate malt.

The chocolate custard on the cone was delectable, rich and creamy with a hearty chocolate flavor. The malt paled in comparison and made me wonder if they had forgotten to add any chocolate. Next time it's a chocolate custard cone for me!

Leon's Frozen Custard

3131 South 27th Street

Milwaukee, WI 53215

New Jersey

While mapping out our vacation this year, when I suggested starting in Savannah, GA and then driving up the coast, my husband said he wanted to make it to New Jersey to visit a hamburger joint.

"Why not?" I thought, so I added it to the list of possible attractions.

We had a full day of driving from Wildwood, NJ where we stayed at the wonderfully renovated yet vintage Caribbean Motel.

Upon checking in, which was done by hand not computer, we were given a real key on a vintage style key ring.

This 1957 motel's vibe was great from the mod rounded platform jutting out of the building, which doubled as a ramp to access the funky cabana room; authentic shuffleboard painted on the concrete; a swanky pool that made me feel like I needed to don some big round sunglasses and a 1950's-era swimsuit; and our room, complete with mod table lamps, palm tree cutouts over the colorful seersucker striped bedspreads and vintage green bathroom fixtures.

We really enjoyed the motel as well as Wildwood and already have vowed to return.

After breakfast in at Jimbo's in Wildwood, where I had a great breakfast wrap, we had a short gambling stint in Atlantic City stopped at several lighthouses, then rolled in to Hackensack in the evening and parked behind the tiny White Manna diner, a Paramount Diner manufactured in the late 1930s.

There were a handful of occupied seats inside the diner, which has been there since 1946, but we were able to close the door behind us after we got in line.

There appeared to be just three or four people ahead of us who needed to order.

As one of the patrons got his turn, he placed his order for 40, yes, 40, cheeseburgers. I wondered if all hope was lost for us on our burger quest, but peering around the people to the grill, it looked like things were well under control.

The two men hard at work behind the counter had their tasks. One took orders for drinks and fries, the other took the burger orders and seemed to be able to keep them straight (cheese, no cheese, onions, no onions, how many and who) with ease, while lining every available inch of grill space with burgers.

After a five or ten minutes we were able to get a couple of stools at the counter where we had a better view. We placed our order for fries and drinks and waited to order our burgers, which are smaller than a typical hamburger, sliders almost.

After ordering our burgers it didn't take very long for them to arrive. While we enjoyed our meal, the two restaurant workers swapped jobs, so the previous fries and drink guy was then slapping burgers on the grill with honed skill.

White Manna was a great stop to add to our itinerary, as much for the atmosphere and history as for the burgers.

Caribbean Motel

5600 Ocean Avenue

Wildwood Crest, NJ 08260

White Manna

358 River Street

Hackensack, NJ 07601

Loveless Café

During our big spring road trip this year, our first stop was Nashville, Tennessee.I looked for historic restaurants we could visit and had to look no further than the Loveless Café.

The restaurant was first known as the Harpeth Valley Tea Room and was purchased by the Loveless family in 1951. The husband, Lon, ran the motel on site while his wife, Annie, whipped up homemade preserves and biscuits, catering to travelers along US Highway 100.

The Loveless Café has changed hands a few times over the years, but luckily their famous biscuit recipe has remained.

The motel ceased operations in 1985 and the site now features quaint shops and a Loveless Café Hams & Jams business.

In 2004 the restaurant closed for five months for renovations, bringing a new kitchen, new restrooms and additional seating.

The 1900s house you step into to enter the restaurant has a vintage screen door, which welcomes you in with style.

We were seated in a room off to the right of the hostess area, and were greeted right away by an efficient waitress with a southern accent. She brought our breakfast beverage order quickly and we asked for a couple more minutes to check over the menu.

Knowing the place was famous for biscuits, we made sure to order meals that included them, and they were the star of our dining experience. The surprisingly small, fluffy biscuits were perfectly warmed and accompanied by strawberry, blackberry and peach preserves. I went back and forth between the strawberry and blackberry while my husband raved about the peach.

Our bellies full, we headed outside for pictures and to visit the market store. We noticed a banner on the neon sign in memory of Carol Fay, "the biscuit lady", who we then realized we had seen on Throwdown with Bobby Flay several years ago.

We picked up some bacon as a souvenir of our stop in the market store and then set out for our next destination.

Loveless Café

8400 Highway 100

Nashville, TN 37221